


Party for Two

by marajaderen1



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drinking, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fun, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Mutual Friends, Rey and Ben don't know each other, Set Up, They love ATLA, This is just a lot of sweetness, Underage Drinking, Zutara, college party, frat party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24963910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marajaderen1/pseuds/marajaderen1
Summary: Based on the prompt from @reylo_prompts:"Rey and Ben are separately invited to a costume party. Rey shows up as Katara and Ben shows up as Zuko..."Ben was not part of his fraternities decision to make this years Halloween party theme as cartoon charcaters, but with the enouragement from his best friend in the organization, Armie, he decides to put his Zuko costume to good use.ANDArmie's girlfriend, Rose, convinces her best friend Rey to come out to the party in her awesome Katara costume. Her and Armie also think Ben and Rey would be great together, and wonder why it took them so long to set them up.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 10
Kudos: 70





	Party for Two

Rey groaned as the loop of hair that framed the right side of her face refused to stay in its place.

“I can always just not go,” she grunted, attempting again to pin the loop into place.

Her roommate Rose chuckled at her frustration. Rey spared her a glance from across the room, watching as she adjusted her lengthy wig. Rose and her boyfriend, Armie, were going to the party as Rapunzel & Flynn. It was so cute, it made Rey want to puke.

“Everyone’s going to know who you and Armie are, and your costumes are freaking adorable!” Rey complained, jamming bobby pins into her scalp, finally getting that second loop to stay in place.

Rose shook her head and walked the short distance across their dorm room to Rey’s desk. “Your costume is perfect, and I’m sure people will recognize you! Your costume is Comic-Con ready, and you even have the hair loopies!” Rose said, attempting to comfort her, “You make a perfect Katara!”

Rey sighed, her shoulders heaving up and down as she stood and assessed her complete look. Her outfit was a spitting image of Katara’s look from the end of the series, Rey’s favorite of Katara’s many outfits.

“Too bad I don’t have a Zuko,” Rey said with a scoff.

Her comment caused her roommate to roll her eyes, “Or an Aang?” 

Rey turned to face down her roommate. They both loved Avatar, but disagreed on what the canon ships should’ve been. 

“Just because it’s canon, doesn’t mean it’s right,” Rey chided. 

Rose simply chuckled and shook her head, “Alright Miss Katara,” she began with a quick glance at her phone, “Finish up so we can head over.”

Rey nodded, and smoothed out the blue fabric of her skirt. She sprayed her hair quickly, silently praying it would stay in place. 

— 🔥 —

“You promise it doesn’t look stupid?” 

Ben stared at his reflection in the mirror, second guessing his choice to go as redeemed Prince Zuko. He was a college senior, for crying out loud. He should’ve just avoided his frat’s annual Halloween bash.

“Dude, it’s literally a cartoon costume party. You won’t look stupid, and might not even be the only Avatar person here,” his friend assured him.

Ben exhaled with a shake of his head, “Whatever you say, Armie.”

“Your scar looks great, dude,” Armie said, patting Ben on his back as he walked towards the door, “And it’s on the right side.”

Ben couldn’t contain the laugh that Armie’s comment caused as his friend disappeared out of his room. He could hear the music coming from downstairs, and imagined that people would be showing up any time now. 

After one more glance, Ben pulled on his black boots, and laced them up quickly before heading out the door, and down to the early stages of the party.

“Ben, help me with the juice!” his buddy Poe yelled when he found himself in the kitchen. Ben shook his head with a scoff at the sheer amount of booze that stood next to the jug that was already full of ice and candy. Enough sugar to disguise the alcohol taste be all who partook. 

He’d be fine with a beer, he thought, as he and Poe each dumped in some fruity vodka and White Claws.

— 🌊 —

Rose & Rey shoved their way through the already packed frat house, planning on meeting up with Armie in the kitchen, so they could get something to drink.

“Armie said it’d be hard to miss his friend!” Rose yelled over the music. Rey could barely understand, but she definitely didn’t miss the small smirk pulling at her friends’ lips.

Rey had met Armie a few times, he and Rose had been dating since the beginning of the summer when Rose met him at early orientation. They were adorable, and Rey was excited to see them in their couples costume together.

They pushed past an Elsa and a Merida with their arms around each other, and found the other half of Rose’s  _ Tangled  _ costume. What Rey didn’t expect was the redwood of a man, dressed as Zuko, standing beside Rose’s boyfriend.

He didn’t notice her at first, but he was hard to miss, as he was at least half a foot taller than her. It gave her time to take in who he was, aside from his picture perfect costume. He wasn’t attractive in the cute, goofy way Armitage was, but in a dark, brooding, mysterious way. It made him the perfect Zuko, she thought to herself.

Armie saw them and waved them over to the edge of the kitchen, the farthest inside spot away from the music. When they reached the boys, Armie greeted Rose with a lengthy kiss while Rey and this Zuko just stood there. He sipped on his beer as his eyes totaled around the room.

“Can I get you a drink?” he asked politely.

His deep voice sent a quick shiver down Rey’s spine. It was almost as if it reverberated within her own body. 

She nodded, “Do you have any more Blue Moon?” 

The Zuko smiled and forced his way over to the fridge. Rey watched and felt her heartbeat speed up. He was really cute, or hot, or handsome, maybe? She couldn’t find the right word. What Rey did know is that she was attracted to him.

He walked back over and handed her the beer, and opened it for her with a bottle opener. She muttered a thanks, and took a sip as the both leaned back against the counter top. They’d lost Rose and Armie, but Rey assumed they’d made it over to the group dancing to the loud music.

“I thought I’d be alone, or no one would get my costume,” Rey said, breaking the silence. She hopped up and sat on the counter-top, giving her a few extra inches to be closer to his face.

“Well, your costume is great,” he assured her with a quick glance at her ensemble before sticking out his hand in greeting, which she gladly accepted, “I’m Ben, by the way.”

She smiled before answering, “And I’m Rey.” 

“Nice to meet you, Rey,” he replied. His hand lingered around hers longer than necessary, but neither of them were ready to pull away. 

“Nice to meet you too, Ben,” she said back, eventually releasing his hand. She spared a glance at the other party goers, and saw plenty of classic Disney characters, among a few she didn’t recognize. But, she was sure there were no other people who’d chosen from the Avatar lore for their costumes.

“So, what do you study?” she asked, her eyes meeting his once again.

Ben took another sip from his drink prior to responding, “Um, architecture, actually. I’m in my fourth year. What about you?”

That wasn’t what she’d been expecting, not that she’d given much thought to his study choice. “Oh, um, freshman,” she blushed, admitting her youth to this senior, “And I’m currently just doing general studies, trying to figure out what I want.”

He nodded, not showing any emotion in response to her answer. His awkwardness allowed Rey to study his costume even more closely. It was also from the end of the series, at least what Zuko wore in one of Rey’s favorite scenes, the one where their characters hugged. It was one of her favorite moments.

Something particular about his costume brought an undeniable smile to her face. Which managed to stay on, even as she sipped her drink.

“What?” He asked with a smile, glancing down at himself quickly, “Is there something wrong with my costume?”

Rey bit her lip as she angled her body to face his more. Her eyes scanned up to meet his, and she brought up a hand to tap her chin as she made him wait for her response.

“On the contrary, Ben, I mean, Zuko,” she said softly, “I was admiring something about your costume.”

“Come on, Rey,” he replied with a small laugh, “You tease more than a teaser trailer at Comic-Con.” She couldn’t help but laugh at his nerdy attempt at flirting. It was adorable.

“That was the nerdiest thing I’ve ever heard someone say,” she told him between laughs.

“We both showed up to a costume party as characters from a kids Nickelodeon show from the mid-late 2000’s, Rey. We’ve surpassed the need to point out what’s nerdy or not,” he said in response, a smug “matter of fact” tone decorating his voice.

Rey could feel the natural blush spread across her cheeks, as she moved even closer to Ben’s front. She carefully made sure to not mess up her hair loops, but twisted a strand on her finger as she looked up at Ben, through her eyelashes. 

“True,” she replied, a smirk growing on her face, “I was just going to say, I like how you got the scar on the right side.”

— 🍵 —

“Are they still talking?” Rose asked after her boyfriend’s lips left hers. 

Armie glanced through the kitchen doors to the illuminated back deck. Rey and Ben were sitting on one of the loungers, sipping their drinks slowly. 

“Yeah, and she’s practically in his lap,” Armie answered with a chuckle. His lips returned to Rose’s, but she pulled away quickly and turned so she could see them through the window. 

Rey was leaning against the back of the chair, her arm casually draped atop Ben’s shoulder. Rose grinned from ear to ear, and turned her attention back to Armie.

“We did good, babe,” she said, placing a swift kiss on his lips.

“I don’t know why we didn’t think about setting them up sooner,” he answered, “I’m glad their nerdy brains decided to think alike. Practically set it up themselves.”

“But we encouraged it,” Rose reminded him, poking a finger at his chest. 

“That we did,” he agreed with a smirk. 

Their lips met again, and their worries about their friends faded. They knew their Zuko and Katara could take care of themselves.

— ⚡️ —

After trying to talk some more in the loud house, Rey and Ben had given up and escaped outside. There was a group smoking off in the yard, but the deck was empty for them.

Out here, they were able to talk, and hear each other. They talked a lot about their thoughts and feelings about this series that had been a big part of both of their upbringings, and had effected them both.

“So, did you always ship Zuko and Katara?” Rey asked, her finger drawing circles gently on Ben’s shoulder. 

“I mean, I hated him and Mai. And I think Zutara could’ve been really good for the overall story. Besides, I still think it’s weird that Katara ended up with someone who was supposed to be a monk,” he ended with a laugh.

Rey joined in with a small chuckle, “I thought so too. As pro-Zutara as I am, we probably wouldn’t have Korra without Katara and Aang,” she explained.

Ben scoffed and shook his head, with a small smile, so she knew he wasn’t upset.

“I refuse to watch that show,” he said firmly.

Rey quickly removed his hand from his shoulder, and sat straight up. 

“What do you mean?” she asked in utter disbelief. Their Avatar conversations had gone on swimmingly since they’d met earlier that evening, this was the first major disagreement.

“I barely made it through one episode and I couldn’t deal. I was so angry. Aang’s kid was weird, and Korra was the most annoying character ever,” he explained casually.

Rey shook her head. She was a fan of the entire Avatar world, especially  _ The Legend of Korra _ . She’d resonated with Korra, even more since rewatching it as an adult.

“Benjamin,” she said, clearing her throat, “If this friendship is going to progress, I need to convert you to Korra.”

He shook his head, “I doubt you can. I’m pretty dead set against it.” 

A smug smirk appeared on his lips, and made him look even more like Zuko, which made Rey’s heart flutter. 

“Well, I actually wrote a paper about it for one of my classes. It was for our persuasive essay, and I’d argued with someone in class about it too. And I got a 100%, and the professor was even convinced to watch both series in their entirety. She loved them,” Rey told him, emphasizing her passion for the Avatar extended lore.

Ben glanced over at her, and he took a brief moment to take in her appearance. Not just her costume, but her. The twinkling fairy lights gave the deck a warm ambiance, and illuminated her face. He hadn’t noticed her freckles earlier, but they were adorably splashed across her nose and cheeks. Part of him wanted to kiss every individual one. He shook that thought from his head quickly, he’d only just met her. 

“Well, Rey,” he began, “Maybe you’ll have to persuade me. Maybe over coffee? Or tea, if it’d be more on brand?”

The dim lighting couldn’t hide the blush that crept across her speckled cheeks. “Tea would be on brand, and, yes. Sounds good,” she answered.

“And, maybe, just maybe, I’ll give in. And I’ll need someone to watch it with,” he offered.

Rey relaxed, and leaned back, relaxing against him again.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Prince Zuko,” she said, arching an eyebrow as a smirk formed on her own lips.

Ben leaned forward, so their lips were mere centimeters apart. He could sense her breath hitch in her throat, but she didn’t move back. His lips met her gently, and she reciprocated with equal gentleness. 

When they pulled apart after a few moments, Rey stared into his eyes, her lips still apart, before he replied to her last comment, a slight smirk evident on his lips, “No promises, Rey.”

She pressed her lips against his again, pressing more firmly than earlier. Her hands wound up and around his neck. He eagerly returned the kiss, and landed his hands on her hips. 

Rey smiled into the kiss. She hadn’t been expecting the night to go this way, but she was completely okay with it.

Their lips were forced apart this time when someone burst out from the kitchen yelling their names.

“Ben! Rey! Guess what?” Armie shouted. 

Rose was giggling and hanging her arms off of him as they stumbled out from the kitchen. 

“Yes?” Ben asked, keeping his hands stationary on her hips.

“Crazy Klaud is here! He graduated last year, and guess who he showed up as?” Armie asked excitedly, his words slurring together slightly.

“Who?” Rey replied for him. She was only slightly mad at Armie for breaking up her kiss with Ben.

“Uncle Iroh!” Rose said before her boyfriend could, causing the both of them to laugh.

Ben and Rey joined in on the laughter, even though Rey had no idea who this crazy Klaud was. 

“We need a picture!” Rey said, looking from Rose and Armie then back to Ben. Who nodded in agreement.

“Bring him out here,” Ben told their friends. They hurriedly went back inside to find this Klaud.

Rey picked up her bottle and finished the last bit with a gulp. Ben followed suit, and placed both their bottles on the ground.

“You want another one?” he asked.

She scrunched her nose and shook her head. “I’m not a multiple beer person,” she answered with a shrug.

Ben nodded, “You into other things?” he asked, pointing his thumb toward the group still smoking in the yard. Rey nodded, slightly embarrassed, although she didn’t know why. It was legal in their state, if they were 21. 

“After this picture, I have some up in my room?” he offered, “I’m kinda tired of this party anyways.”

“Me too, but, I’m glad it happened,” she replied, clasping her hands behind his neck.

Ben arched an eyebrow, “And why is that?”

Rey just shrugged, her eyes roaming away innocently before meeting Ben’s again, “Because it’s where I met you.”

In response, Ben pressed his lips against hers again. Rey eagerly returned the kiss, and realized that she was really glad she came, especially as Katara.

They might not have been canon in the show, but, maybe this thing with Ben would work out better than their fictional counterparts. Only time would tell, but at least for tonight, she was going to enjoy their party of two.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I know the original prompt said "bonus points for smut", but I wanted something accessible to as many Reylo fans as possible! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this little one-shot! 
> 
> Title is a lyric from "Late to the Party" by Kacey Musgraves
> 
> Find me on Twitter: @marajaderen1
> 
> And follow @reylo_prompts for a plethora of wonderful ideas!


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